Machine for making side rails of step-ladders.



J. G. LUDWIG, JR. MACHINE FOR MAKING SIDE RAILS 0P STEP LADDERS. APPLICATION rum) 1M4; 1908.

910,299. Patented Jan; 19, 1909.

ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS 0a., WASHINGTD err stares rarnnr orator.

JOHN C. LUDWIG, JR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR IVIAKENG SIDE RAILS OF STEP-LADDER To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. LUDWIG, Jr., citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Side Rails of Step-nadders, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to wood-working machines, and especially to a machine for making the front legs of step-ladders.

Stepdadders are usually made widest at the bottom, and in order that a step-ladder may stand square when opened out for use, the lower ends of the front legs of the stepladder are usually cut on a bevel in two directions. That is, the lower end of each front leg is beveled transversely in accordance with the width, and also according to the thickness of the leg, so that it will rest flat on the ground when in use. Also, the grooves for the steps are cut at an angle which is inclined to the length of the leg and also to the plane surface of the leg.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which will simultaneously out both the end bevels and the grooves for the steps, and which machine is easily adjustable for right and left-hand legs.

The invention consists of the parts and the constructionand combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with'the front of the frame removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the carriage and work support. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a side leg cut by my machine.

A represents a stepdadder leg which is beveled at the lower end in two directions, as shown at a, and is provided with the transverse grooves 79 at suitable intervals for the reception of the steps.

B represents the frame of a machine for cutting the end bevels a and the grooves b.

The top of the machine is provided with the two traekways 3, on which the carriage 4: mounted on rollers 5 is adapted to be reciprocated. This carriage, it will be observed, is higher on one side than on the other, and carries the work support 6, which has a horizontal supporting flange 7 on Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 24, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Serial No. 12,502.

which the leg rail A. is adapted to be supported. The flange 7 is angularly cut out, as shown at 8, to accomm date the saws 9l0 when the carriage is pushed forward to carry the work into oontat with these saws, and this work support is made changeable, so that it can be secured to the carriage, as shown in full lines, Fig. 1, to cut one leg of the step-ladder, or to be shifted into the dotted line position shown in the same figure, to permit it to cut the proper bevels on the opposite leg. That is to say, when the work support is in one position it will cut right-hand legs, and when in the other position it will cut left-hand legs. The end beveling of the rails is done by the saws 9, while the making of the grooves Z) is done by the saws or cutters 10. These latter, it is to be observed, are mounted on short shafts or arbors, and these arbors, while they may be arranged all in the same vertical plane (although that is unimportant), are preferably disposed in different horizontal planes, as shown in Fig. 2; all the saws being run from the main power shaft 11.

The arrangement of the saw arbors in different horizontal planes is due to the inclination from one end of the machine to the other, of the work support, which inclination is obtained, as before described, by making one end of the carriage 3 higher than the other; also because it is important to have all the saws nearly of' the same size, not only for matters of economy, but in order that the outer edge of each saw should travel approximately at the same rate of speed. Furthermore, by using short individual shafts journaled between their ends, I am able to quickly take on or off any saw without disturbing any of the others, or to use a saw on either end of its shaft, or to use two saws on the same shaft, according to the character of the work being done.

By arranging the saws in the manner shown, and inclining the work support both downwardly towards one end of the machine, and laterally with respect to the width of the machine, I am able to give the desired bevel to the end of a step-ladder leg, and to produce the desired grooving of the leg.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A wood-working machine having in combination a reciprocable carriage, an inclined work-support thereon, and saws traversable by the support, said saws being mounted on independent arbors arranged in different horizontal planes.

2. A wood-working machine comprising the combination of a carriage mounted for reciprocation on suitable trackways, a worksupport on the carriage inclined to a horizontal plane parallel to the carriage travel, and saws mounted 011 individual arbors in diiferent horizontal planes, and arranged to operate on the work when the carriage is reciprocated.

3. A woodworking machine comprising the combination of a carriage mounted for reciprocation on suitable trackways, a worksupport on the carriage and means whereby said support is inclined into a horizontal plane parallel to the carriage travel, and

saws mounted on individual arbors in different horlzontal planes, and arranged to operate on the work when the carriage is reciprocated, said work-support having an inclination diagonal of the machine.

4. A wood-working machine comprising the combination of a carriage mounted for reciprocation on suitable trackways, a worksupport on the carriage and means whereby said support is inclined into a horizontal plane parallel to the carriage travel, and saws mounted on individual arbors in different horizontal planes, and arranged to operate on the work when the carriage is reciprocated, said work-support having an inclination diagonal of the machine, and means whereby the diagonal inclination of the work support may be reversed.

In testimony whereof I have'hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. LUDWIG, JR. WVitnesses:

FRANK L. OWEN, S. H. NOURSE. 

